Consider the following statements : Statement-I : In India, prisons are managed by State Governments with their own rules and regulations for the day-to-day administration of prisons. Statement-II : In India, prisons are governed by the Prisons Act, 1894 which expressly kept the subject of prisons in the control of Provincial Governments. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
A
Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
Correct Answer
B
Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
C
Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
D
Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Explanation
Option (a) is correct because Statement I accurately reflects that 'Prisons' is a State subject under Entry 4 of the State List (Seventh Schedule), while Statement II correctly identifies the Prisons Act, 1894, as the historical legal framework that originally vested prison administration in Provincial Governments. Option (b) is the most tempting wrong choice, but it is incorrect because Statement II provides the specific legislative origin and rationale for why states currently possess the authority mentioned in Statement I. The core concept being tested is the constitutional distribution of legislative powers and the historical continuity of colonial-era administrative laws in India.
Prison AdministrationFederal structure and Prison ManagementPrisonsState Governmentsrules and regulationsPrisons Act, 1894Provincial GovernmentsState List